Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward the field of networking consumer electronic devices, and more particularly directed toward a network interface device for transferring media across a network.
Art Background
The widespread use of computers, digital cameras, digital music and video players, and the Internet has resulted in the creation and use of digital media. Digital media has also largely replaced more traditional analog audio and video formats with the introduction and popular acceptance of audio compact discs (CDs) and digital video discs (DVDs). In general, digital media consists of various formats of data that stores audio, video, and images in binary formats. These binary files are typically stored on a medium accessible to computer devices, such as CD-ROMs, hard drives, floppy disks and memory sticks.
The storage of digital media on commonly used computer medium allows for easy generation and transfer of digital media. For example, it has become popular to generate digital photos using a digital camera and then to transfer the digital photos onto computers. Computer software permits the user to manipulate the digital photos. The user may then transfer the digital photos to friends using e-mail, or post the digital photos on a web site accessible on the World Wide Web. These types of applications, which take advantage of connectivity among different devices, have also contributed to the widespread popularity of digital media.
Portable media rendering devices have also become very popular along with the widespread popularity of digital media. These portable media devices, when first introduced, were capable of playing digital audio. Today, some portable media devices also play video. Technological advances in mass storage allow these portable media devices to store relatively large amounts of digital media. However, a user must copy the digital media onto the storage device of the portable media player. Although the use of computers, and their connection to networks, may facilitate the transfer of the media onto the portable devices, it is desirable to develop devices and techniques to transfer media between portable media devices and other devices to increase the functionality of portable devices.